Latin America and the Caribbean Take Sao Paolo to Showcase Own Incentive, Congress Industry

The 2004 LACIME, the largest incentive and congress fair in Latin America and the Caribbean, is coming to an end Friday after five days of exhibitions, lectures, round tables and business exchanges at the Transamerica Exposition Center in Brazil´s Sao Paolo.

Attendants to the Latin America & Caribbean Incentive Market Exchange have talked about the world market of incentive and congress, institutional responsibility, engagement of the private sector in the development of the local travel industry, and cultural diversity as an allure for international investment.

Working sessions have also broached the need to advance infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean. The tradeshow has drawn as many as 200 exhibitors, over 3,000 visitors and 300 purchasers interested in pouring cash into incentive and congress destinations both in Brazil and the rest of the region.

According to Tasso Gadzanis, chairman of the Brazil Travel Agency Association -one of the event´s organizers- "there´s a driving need for creativeness in order to reach out to new market niches, and the 2004 LACIME is a tool of unfathomable value in this respect, especially for travel agencies specialized in the sector."